The Ombudsman’s Office published this Friday the map of homicides of social leaders in the country, revealing that Antioquia is the third department hit the most by this drama.
With a cut to last August 31, in the department they had lost their lives 15 social leadersbeing only surpassed by the departments of Nariño, with 21 murders and Cauca, with 19.
The entity of the Public Ministry warned that throughout the country the number of assassinated leaders amounted to 136, which is equivalent to an increase of 24.7% compared to the same period last year, when there were 109 murders.
So far this year, most of the registered attacks were directed once morest community leaders (38), followed by indigenous leaders (31), community leaders (25), peasants (11) and union leaders (5).
Carlos Camargo, Ombudsman, expressed his rejection of the increase in these figures.
“These crimes seriously affect the communities they represent, because they seek to silence the voices of those who give democracy daily life”, he expressed.
According to the official, in the midst of the peace intentions expressed by various armed groups, the best message of said will would be to put an end to these murders.
“I make a call to the entire institutional to join forces and guarantee the integrity and life of social leaders and human rights defendersso that they can freely and safely continue to represent their communities,” said Camargo.
